Screen for hop-separating machines.



PATENTED JULY 14, 1903..

J. MULLER, SCREEN FOR HOP SEPARATING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. II 1903.

2 sums-sum 1.

N0 MODEL.

' ATTORNEYS PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

No. 733,732. I

- J. MULLER. SCREEN FOR HOP SEPARATING MACHINES. .APPLIGATIONTILED MAR.11, 1903.

NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS Patented July 14, 1903.

JACOB MULLER, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOR TO CAROLINE H. MULLER,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SCREEN FOR HOP-SEPARATING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,732, dated July 14,1903. Application filed March 11, 1903. Serial No. 147,300. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.

Be it known that l, JACOB MULLER, a citi Improvements in Screens forHop-Separating Machines, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relatesto an improved screen for separating hops from theseeds after they have been separated from their stems by one of thewell-known machines used for this purpose, such as the one for whichLetters Patent were granted to me, No. 314,116, and dated March 17,1885, or any other suitable machine; and the invention relates morespecifically to a compound screen by which the larger leaves of thehop-scales are separated from the seeds and the smaller leaves from thelupulin or fine o gummy particles in a very effective manner in fourseparate receptacles, so that the seeds and other parts which are notused in brewing processes are separated from the lupulin, scales, andleaves, which permits thereby a 5 better utilization of the hop seeds inthe brewing process, as the objectionable parts of the same have beenseparated and for this purpose the invention consists of a screen forseparating hop-scales after they are removed 0 from their stems whichcomprises an oscillating shaker provided with a bottom screen andconveying-hopper and a plurality of inclined screens arranged below thelower end of the shaker, said screens being of different character anddegrees of fineness,so as to separate the hop-scales from the seeds,lupulin, and smaller particles and pass each into suitable receptacles;and the invention consists, further, of certain details of constructionand 0 combinations of parts, which will be fully described hereinafterand finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of myimproved screen for separating hop-scales, shown as connected with amachine for removing the hop-scales from their stems. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section on line 2 2, Fig. 3, of my improvedseparating-screen. Fig. 3 is o a top view of Fig. 2,.partly inhorizontal section through the upper portion of the shaker;

and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line 4 at, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, F F represent the upright side standards of asupportingframe, on the upper part of which is supported a machine M forremoving the hopscales from their stems, said machine being constructedin any approved manner, preferably of the construction shown in thepatent hereinbefore referred to, fromwhich the material is discharged bya funnel N. From the side standards F and forwardly-extendingbracket-arm f of the same is suspended by pivoted hanging rods a ashaker A, to which an oscillating or shaking motion is imparted by acam-shaft 71, supported in bearings on brackets of thesupporting-standards F. To the shaft n is connected a strap and link on,which connects with one end of the shaker A. The shaker A is supportedon the hanger-rods a in slightly downwardly-inclined position andpreferably closed at the top by a removable top A The shaker A isprovided with a removable screen B of comparatively coarse mesh,(one-eighth of an inch,) resting on a second screen B, shorter than thescreen B, and of somewhat finer mesh, (one-tenth of an inch,) whichrests on lugs 19 of the shaker A. Between the cleats of the screensB andB is arranged a packing of leather or other suitable material to preventthe fine dust from passingin between the cleats. Below the second orlower screen B is arranged a hopper-shaped bottom A,which terminates ina spout a, that discharges into a receptacle 7". This receptacle '1'serves to collect the finer yellow gummy particles, which are known bythe name of lupulin and which are found between the hop-leaves near thestems. These particles pass through the comparatively coarse screens BB, while the larger leaves, which do not pass through the upper screenB, are conducted over the entire length of the screen B and dischargedover a delivery lip or plate a into a receptacle 1" at the right-handend of the shaker A, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The screen B isprovided with handles b and the screen B with handles 0 for removing thescreens for cleaning the same from time to time. Between the screens Band B and to one side of the shaker A is attached a flat spring orresilient piece of metal 0, which extends almost to the opposite side ofthe shaker, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The spring 0 serves forconducting the particles that pass through the screen B, but not throughthe second screen B, to an uppermost screen D of a series of screens.The end of the spring 0 is provided with a leather guard-plate O, thatis of greater depth than the spring 0, so as to form at its lower edgecontact with the uppermost laterally-inclined screen D, which issupported at the lower end of the shaker A, as shown in Fig. 4. Thematerial which does not pass through the screen B falls on the screen D,and that material which does not pass through the screen D passes overthe entire length of the same from the upper to the lower edge, wherethe larger seeds, which cannot pass through the screen D, fall into areceptacle W. A second screen D is arranged below the screen D, butinclined in opposite direction thereto and serves for asserting thematerial, such as the fine leaves, small pieces of stem, (to, whichpassed through the screen D. The particles which do not pass through thescreen D as fine leaves fall into a receptacle r while those which dopass through the screen D fall on the third screen D arranged below thesecond screen D and extending from the delivery end of the screen Dparallel with the uppermost screen D. The particles which do not passthrough the screen D as fine seeds pass into the receptacle r whilethose that pass through as fine leaves fall onto an in clined bottom ofsheet metal D located below the lowermost screen. The inclined screens DD D are guided in alternately-inclined ways of end bars E, that areattached to the right-hand end of the shaker, as shown in Fig. 1, andare provided at their front lowermost ends with suitable handlesforbeing removed from their guideways for cleaning and for beingreplaced in the same after being cleaned. The meshes of the screens D DD gradually increase in fineness from the uppermost to the lowermostscreen and diifer in the character of their mesh, so that the seeds andparticles of a certain character drop into the next screen below, whilethe particles of a diiferent kind and size that do not pass through therespective screens are conducted into receptacles.

By the separating-screens described a very effective separation of thefour principal parts from which hopscales are composed after beingremoved from their stems is effected namely, the fine gummy particles orlupulin into the receptacle 0', the larger leaves into the receptacle7", the larger and smaller seeds into the receptacle 0'", and thesmaller leaves and stems into the receptacle r Thus the parts arecollected in four separate and dis tinct receptacles, which are soarranged and located that each receptacle can be taken away separatelyfor use in the brewing process and then returned or others substituted.Then the distinct separation of the parts offers certain advantages, asthe seeds impart a disagreeable bitter taste to the hop extract,while bythe separation of the lupulin from the leaves a larger yield of thehop-bitter and the essential oils of the hops is obtained, and thereby abetter utilization of the hops in the brewing process than in theprocess heretofore in use, in which the hops were utilized without beingfirst separated from the stems.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a screen forseparating hop-scales after they are removed from their stems, thecombination, of a shaker provided with an open end, a screen in saidshaker, a second shorter screen of finer nlesh below said first screen,a hopper having a discharge-spout below said second screen, aspring-actuated guard arranged between the upper and lower screens ofthe shaker, said guard being attached to one side of the shaker andextended longitudinally across the lower screen and into the space belowthe upper screen, a plurality of alternately-inelined screens below theopen end of the shaker and adjacent to the lower screen, and an inclinedbottom below said inclined transverse screens, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination, with an inclined oscillating shakeropen at the lowerend and provided with a discharge-lip, of a screen extending the fulllength of said shaker, a shorter screen of finer mesh below the firstscreen, a hopper provided with a discharge-spout below said lowerscreen, a plurality of laterallyinclined screens extending across thelower open end of the shaker to alternately oppo site sides thereof,said screens being supported on inclined ways of end bars, aspring-actuated guard arranged between the screens of the shaker forconducting the particles which do not pass through the lower screen tothe inclined end screens, said guard device extending through the openend of the shaker into contact with the uppermost inclined end screen,an inclined bottom below the plurality of alternately-inclined endscreens, and receptacles for receiving the different particles separatedby the diflferent screens, substantially as set forth.

I11 testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signedmy name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JACOB MULLER.

Witnesses PAUL GOEPEL, C. 1 GoEPEL.

